Check List of Flora and Vegetation of Hafer Albatin Region, Northeastern Saudi Arabia
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MOJ Ecology & Environmental Sciences Research Article Open Access Check list of flora and vegetation of Hafer Albatin region, northeastern Saudi Arabia Abstract Volume 3 Issue 3 - 2018 The piece of work has been designed to study the present–day vegetation and document Magda Ishag Mohammed–Ibtisam, Gabir the flora of wild plant of Hafr Al–Batin region northeastern Saudi Arabia. During this survey ,specimens were collected randomly from different sites during two successive year Mohamed Doka (2014 –2016) a total of 83species of plants were identified, belonging to 21 families(16 Department of Biological science, faculty of Education Hafer monocotyledonous from 5 families and 67dicotledonous from 16 families were recorded. Albatin, University Saudi Arabia The most highly represented families were Asteraceae was the richest (23 species) 28% Correspondence: Department of Biological science, faculty followed by mimosaceae (7 species) 8.5% and Poaceae (6 species each) 7.3% over of of Education Hafer Albatin, University Saudi Arabia, Email abundance have been Estimated plenty fullness of a species of target group according to [email protected] a predefined scale The most important plant species were either major dominant species, like Schimpera arabica,Rumex vesicarius, Launea nudiculis, Malva parviflora ,citrullus Received: November 14, 2017 | Published: May 15, 2018 colyocynthis ,Stipa capensis. Plantago boissieri or rare endangered and vulnerable such as Artemisia sp, Haloxylon salicornicum, Calendula tripterocarpa and rare species such as Acasia tortilis. Check list of flora demonstrated high annual plant diversity (56.5%) and perennial (43%) the diversity of species corresponds higher means of percentage cover during rainy season in winter at the study area. Future effective conservation and management plans has been needed to the present day vegetation cover and floristic composition in the study area as it contains important species for sustainable development, preservation of biodiversity through the wild plants and endangered for a better environmental future. Keywords: vegetation, diversity, floristic, sustainable, endanger Introduction of the Eastern Saudi Arabia. However several studied have been by the neighboring Kuwait.7–11 Brown12 studied major causes of desert Exploration of biodiversity becomes more and more important land vegetation degradation and made plane to re–establishment of the than ever as to know the cause of rapid depletion of species and natural vegetation in Kuwait. Blatter13 was the first compiled most of 1 ecosystems kumar et al. Native plants are the key components the major and minor collections of the previous visitors and published of the global biological diversity, are highly adapted to the local a detailed checklist of the wild plants of Arabia Extensive work on environmental and climatic conditions and represent wealth must be environmental requirements and various studies of vegetations have preserved and rational development. It is a major source of primary been conducted by on regional flora of the country14 have been productivity upon which human and animal. Non–exploitation has published The most important studies that have been in Saudi Arabia resulted in environmental systems guide particularly dry areas which and regarded as the as the reference.15 The only one who has been are decreasing in intensity and growth of many natural and pastoral described as plant species Chaudhary16,17 who were evaluate the life species becoming endangered. Wild plant has been utilize by people of plant in deserts and xerophytes vegetation makes up the prominent 2 to meet their food need especially in periods of food shortage. Saudi features of the plant form life.17 However desert annual may flower and Arabia is generally an arid desert country with a few exceptional sub– set seeds within a few weeks after germination due to soil. Recently humid regions on the south–western part, located in the (Lat. 25°0’0” furthermore, Floristic composition and ecological studies has been N, Long. 45°0’0” E) with an area of about 2250,000 sq kms covering published on the vegetation at different Areas at Saudi Arabia by the major part of the Arabian Peninsula. The flora of the Sudia has many authors18–21 who reported the medicinal plant diversity in the a wide range of ecological habitats and characterized by different flora of the area. Wadis represent one of the most prominent desert 3 ecosystems and diversity of plant species. The flora is the admixture land forms in the dry lands because the country has not permanent of the elements of Asia, Africa and Mediterranean region. Therefore rivers. Natural Vegetation analysis and floristic composition of Wadi Saudi Arabia is one of the richest of wild biodiversity areas in the have been reported by El Ghazali et al.,22 Alatar et al.,23 Aldhebianai 4 Arabian Peninsula. et al.24 Wadi vegetation change from year to another depending upon 25 Vegetation types in the Saudi moisture content. Very little is known about the floristic composition and vegetation Theme of the work diversity in this study area, there is lack in flora documentation and The present investigation is the first study of wild flora of Hafer have not received much attention,except few studies of the vegetation –Albtain area, this investigation is an attempt to gather base line desert of eastern and central part have been discussed by Vasey– information of the floristic composition, life form and to provide 5 6 Fitzeraid and Mandaville who made an illustrated guide to the flora record of wild species flora of this area to contribute the distribution of Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com MOJ Eco Environ Sci. 2018;3(3):138‒143. 138 © 2018 Mohammed–Ibtisam et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially. Copyright: Check list of flora and vegetation of Hafer Albatin region, northeastern Saudi Arabia ©2018 Mohammed–Ibtisam et al. 139 native plant species, in order to establish record of diversity, stimulate Voucher specimens of these species were collected, pressed, mounted further study on the flora of Saudi Arabia, and prospect of development and deposited at Faculty of Science (Hafr Albatin University). in the future due to the climate and environmental change. Synoname of species were recorded from many references and cites Visual cover abundance were recorded by using a modified Braun– Study Area Blanquet system , along the random transect in khors, desert plane The floristic survey in this research paper was carried in Hafer and fallow in filed for trees, shrubs and herbs, to record abundance Albatin region, which is located in the Eastern Province. It is located of vegetation. Estimates plenty fullness of a species of target group 430 km north of Riyadh, 94.2 km from the Kuwait border, and about according to a predefined scale such as rare, infrequent, abundant, 31 74.3 from the Iraq border. The study area lies in the dry valley of Wadi etc. (Table1) and all plant species studied, were classified according 32 Al–Batin, part of Wadi Al–Rummah, which leads inland towards to their growth habits, and Raunkiaer’s life forms system was used. Medina and formerly emptied into the Arabian Gulf (Figure 1). Field observation of vegetative part of floral has been noted during collection).Full species, list and diversity with estimate obtained for various sub–habitats in the study area. Result and Discussions Floristic diversity and composition A total of 83 species of plants, belonging to 21 families (14 monocotyledonous and 69 dicotyledonous) Figure 2 were recorded from various sample occupying different habitat types in the study area (Table 1). The most highly represented families were Asteraceae was the richest (23 species) 28% followed by mimosaceae (7 species) 8.5% and Poaceae (6 species each)7.3%, Curciferae, Chenopodiaceae, Zygophyllaceae (3species) 3.3% Amaranthaceae, Figure 1 Location of the study area of Hafr Al batin Area in Saudi Arabia. lilaceae, Malvace polygonaceae Rhamnaceae, Euphorbiace, Plantagoaceae Apocynaceae (2 species each) 2.4% and twelve plant Climate families (Acanthaceae, Convolvulaceae Tamaricaceae, Caparacaeae, The impact of climate change, manifested by warmer and drier scalpidaceae ,Caselpinaceae) were represented by only one species climates of Hafer Albatin in recent decades, affects the ecosystems occupying different habitats. A comparison of families in term of leading to a contraction of suitable habitats for endangered plants, and largest number of species recorded in this study is similar studies in 23 even the loss of endemic species. The climate is characterized by very different region of Saudi Arabia Percentage of taxa relation to their hot, dry summers and cool rainy winters with temperature rising from family diversity has been given in Figure 3. Some of the scientific 26,27 15°C in January to a maximum of about 42°C in August–September names, synonyms were extracted from references such as Migahid. period. Annual rainfall means range from 20–55mm. Life form and life span for species were mentioned. The results showed that the fallow of site1 permit the development of the highest Materials and methods number of plant species, the most plant species were annual herbs mainly due rainy season, with sufficient moisture content and fertile Sampling sites soil as found by33 Wadi and runnels occupied an intermediate position with respect to species diversity They constituted about 50% % of A total of four sites were selected in the study region to represent the recorded species, and represented most of the floristic structure different composition habitats, in the period from January to September in the area by neighbors’ Kuwait.34 Species diversity and abundance, 2014–2016 represents the optimum growing and flowering seasons given in Table 1 show that the taxa evenness and diverse was highest covering winter and summer seasons, in each sites four habitat were in Study area fellow site, rood side and moisture habitat and wadi selected s as fallow: bed and desert.